Islington Reads Strategy

The Islington Reads Strategy was formed out a resolution of Islington Council’s Fairness Commission in June 2011, and first published in 2012. It is aligned with the priorities of improving social mobility and creating a fairer borough.

Reading is seen as instrumental to this due to its association with higher academic achievement, improved employability, better mental health and beneficial impacts upon various socio-economic problems.

The Islington Reads campaign aims to:

• raise aspiration and achievement in children and young people through the promotion of reading
• promote the benefits of reading to all Islington residents
• improve access to reading materials
• increase the choice of reading materials
• support those who cannot read and those who experience barriers to reading to overcome them

“We believe that reading can transform people’s lives. The more you read the more you know. The more you read, the more you imagine. The more you read, the better you understand, and the better you connect to people” – The Reading Agency